From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
The Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development has said it would collaborate with the governments of Enugu and Ebonyi states to effectively harness vast solid minerals resources in the states.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, Ekong Sampson, made the disclosure during oversight visit to mining sites in Enugu and Ebonyi states. The committee also paid courtesy visits to Governors Peter Mbah of Enugu and Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi.
Speaking in Enugu, Sampson said: “On behalf of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, we are here further to our oversight. We were in Ebonyi state where we went round some mining sites, to see how we can deepen the policies about mining in this country.
“We are here further to the mandate the Senate gave us to go round this country, and see how we can deepen the policies about mining in this country. We have come here to compare notes and then to go round some mining sites and form a welter of recommendations which we are going to make to the Senate. The solid minerals sector is one sector that clearly will help to drive the economy of Nigeria.”
Sampson emphasised the urgency of moving beyond oil dependency. “We have depended a lot on oil and it is time for us to look beyond oil,” he said. “The Federal Government, under President Bola Tinubu, is taking the sector very seriously. Appropriating the sum of N1 trillion in the 2025 budget clearly signposts a roadmap that government has for the sector.
He stressed the need for a coordinated approach. “There has to be a level of collaboration among all levels of government. No level of government can go it alone if we are to harness the full potential of mining in the country. The centre has to work with the states, and the states, of course, with the locals,” he said.
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State welcomed the committee’s visit, describing it as timely and strategic. “I also think that this committee’s task is of utmost importance. It’s a very important task because solid minerals hold a very huge economic opportunity for this country, particularly when we think or talk about economic diversification,” he said.
Mbah highlighted the untapped potential of the sector, noting, “I think that we do not have any sector that holds the potential as much as the solid minerals sector does, and, somehow, it appears we are suffering from the tragedy of the commons.”
He advocated a more inclusive regulatory framework. “With the review of the Mining Act ongoing, I’m sure that you would ensure that there’s a lot more state inclusion, more state participation in the exploration or exploitation of solid minerals because both for the national and sub-national levels, it holds very huge potential.”
He also emphasised the need for reliable data. “Part of the major challenge in even exploring fully the solid mineral sector is lack of data—and even when we have data, they are either obsolete, not current, or insufficient for investment decisions,” he added.
In Ebonyi State, Deputy Governor, Princess Patricia Obila, received the delegation on behalf of Governor Nwifuru. She reaffirmed the state’s commitment to working with the federal government and the Senate, to ensure the safe and profitable exploitation of mineral resources.
“Here, in Ebonyi State, we still have a lot to be done as regards the solid minerals ministry. We have a lot of mineral deposits untapped in this our area, and for you to come to Ebonyi State, it is commendable,” she said.
“We are highly determined and committed to having a good synergy because we need to tap all these resources. When all of them are fully tapped, it will not only increase our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), it will help the state,” she added.
“Not just the state alone, we will pay our royalties to the federal government and, by the time you know it, everybody will benefit. So, we really need your cooperation.”
Other senators on the delegation included Vice Chairman, Kabeeb Mustapha; Deputy Senate Majority Whip, Onyekachi Nwebonyi; Anthony Ani; Kelvin Chukwu; Diket Plang, and Okechukwu Ezea.